Rhylian Loras
Rhylian Loras is an elven archer from Sanae where she served as a guard for most of her life. By elven standards, she is only about 20 years old. She left her home in search of aid for her people, and hopes to somehow find a cure for the Blood Fever that has ravaged so many, including her mother, Mira Loras. She is currently serving with Axikasha Keiran's Blades of Vigilance. Biography Early Years Rhylian led a very quiet, normal life for over 90 years in Sanae, the capital of Remonian elves located in Folsworth Woods, though she never knew her father. Her mother Mira Loras refused to talk much about him, simply saying that he was a young elf unready for the responsibility of a child. As such, Rhylian grew up with her mother's surname, and the father figure in her life was her uncle Miram Loras. She trained with the bow from a young age, though she struggled with it for many years. It wasn't until the age of 80 or so that her skill started to show, and she became a Guard of Sanae. When the Great War broke out, she chose to stay in Sanae and protect her people in the escalating conflict between the Grand Alliance and the Yamato Empire. Life remained rather quiet in the woods until the Blood Fever, a disease which seemed to affect only those of elven blood and which the elves had thought to have purged since its last ourbreak, surfaced once again. The fever ravaged the majestic city of Sanae and turned it into a veritable ghost town with deadly efficiency. Still, Rhylian stayed in her beloved home, doing what she could to aid her people. Her mother Mira, one of the town's white mages, managed to retain her health for years. But finally, Mira too succumbed to the disease. Godslayer Era The Age of Emptiness Following the death of her mother, Rhylian left Sanae for the first time in her life and set out to find a cure. She encountered Dieter von Waldheim, and after helping him fend off a group of wolves, decided to travel with him to Ravensworth. The pair reached Ravensworth safely, though they could hear the sounds of cannonfire near the docks as they approached. Oblivious to the attack happening on the other side of the city, they headed for the shop of Daventhalas de Mont Hault, where Waldheim hoped they could find some information about the Blood Fever. However, the pair found more than they bargained for in Daven's shop. They left the shop with a bit more information and a new destination... and the rambunctious Kaisa Blackwell in tow. Though Rhylian was still quite distrustful of outsiders, she soon bonded with the young girl. They agreed to let her tag along to Remonton, where they hoped to find the information they sought and, with any luck, Kaisa's caretakers. The trip went quite smoothly until the trio is captured by an elven scouting party from the Wanderers. They were roughly escorted back to the main group, where Kaisa was reunited with Axikasha Keiran and her friends. Waldheim also saw a familiar face: Belial de Ardyn, his brother-in-law. Ax's men apologized for the confusion, and Rhylian and Waldheim were set free. The pair decided to travel with the Wanderers to Remonton, hoping there would be safety in numbers. On Death's Trail The group finally reached the gates of Remonton, and Ax led them into the city through a hidden underground tunnel last used during the Great War. Once inside the city, which was under control of the Proninist Party, all hell broke loose. King Marcus Sarillius had myseriously reappeared and in the city square, the Proninists were preparing to execute several prisoners... and one of Rhylian's captors, the elven Wanderer Killian Greenbough, was showing signs of the Blood Fever. Ax gave the elf a vial of poison to shorten his suffering, and the group continued on... though Rhylian couldn't help but wonder just how Killian had been infected. As the group continued on, first verifying that King Marcus was genuine, they found themselves surrounded by Proninists. Belial and several others were taken away and imprisoned. Suddenly, another foe was unleashed by the Totenkopfs: an ice elemental, far deadlier than anyone could have dreamed. The elemental rampaged throughout the city unchallenged, killing anyone that got in its way. As it neared the palace, Rhylian and her companions gathered to make their final stand. A small group was sent to release Belial and his fellow prisoners. As the group fought on, Rhylian and Waldheim combining their strengths to damage their foe, the elemental unleashed a single, devastating blizzard attack. Ax's entire crew and a large number of townspeople perished instantly. Reinforced by the released prisoners, the group attacked with fresh desperation. Ax impaled the elemental with Dawn, and joined by Marcus and his Dusk, it was enough to weaken the beast. With a violent explosion of ice that killed even more people, the elemental returned to its own plane. The devastation caused by this attack would take over a year to repair. A Game of Deception Following the attack that had obliterated Remonton, Rhylian decided to stay and help with the rebuilding. Though some distrust still remained, she became friends with Ax and several of the other survivors, and joined the Blades of Vigilance. She continued to sift through the destroyed libraries of Remonton, hoping to find more answers about the Blood Fever. Word of Andrei Pronin's death spread, and Marcus decided to hold a great gathering to once again form the Grand Alliance in hopes of crushing the Proninist threat once and for all. Rhylian took this opportunity to share her Blood Fever information with the crowd, and called for any available elves to march with her to Alent in hopes of a cure. A few elves joined her, and the paladin Nesa Mikoto, a young half-elf fighting the Blood Fever, pledged himself as her personal knight. After much negotiation and deliberation, Marcus managed succeeded in building an impressive army. The Second Grand Alliance would march at dawn to aid their Maar Sulais neighbors. That night, a mysterious group of travelers kidnapped the king and left the Shadow as a decoy. He offered to take Ax and leave peacefully, but Ax of course would not agree to this. After an intense fight involving Ax, Rhylian, Shyralis, Refan d'Zarnagon in his demonic form, Nesa and several others, the Shadow was finally defeated. A worried Rhylian stayed with Nesa, wondering if his condition would allow him to accompany her after all. The two would get little rest, as Ax decided that she would take a small group to rescue Marcus and wanted both of them along. The disguised Ronove, Nesa's carefree cake-loving companion, would lead the march in the morning as planned. Echoes of War Rhylian faithfully accompanied Ax to the temple inside the Ruined Kingdom, where Marcus was said to have been taken. The group encountered many traps and hazards within the temple, but eventually reached the king and his captors, Varalia Earthhaven and Xerathas d'Zarnagon. Marcus was released in exchange for Ax's sword, Dawn, though the captors weren't aware that the sword was a fake. The group prepared to leave the temple. Unfortunately, things would not go as smoothly as hoped. The group ended up trapped between a Totenkopf ambush and the angry captors. To make matters worse, they were soon joined by the Totenkopf responsible for the ice elemental's attack in Remonton, Jacob Seneron, possessed by the god Nergal. As his eyes took on an eerie, golden glow, he revealed to those gathered that it had all been an elaborate setup to lure them all together. With his introduction out of the way, the possessed man hurled himself at Ax. Though Ax fought fiercely, she was no match for the god. He stabbed her through the chest and proceeded towards Rhylian and her remaining friends. Rhylian fired arrow after arrow, joined by Waldheim's magic and Nesa's holy sword, but they were quickly losing ground. Then, suddenly, they were rejoined by Ax. Her eyes held the same glow as Jacob's, and when she spoke, it was with the voice of Hephaestus. Joined by Marcus and Mori'sul Agara, an elf possessed by yet another god, Shakkan, the possessed Ax drove Nergal and his host back. Ax dealt the final blow, beheading Jacob and causing Nergal to abandon his host. The temple began to crumble, and Mori'sul erected a shield to protect the heroes temporarily. Leaving them with a warning about traitors in their midst, he created a portal to the outskirts of the city. The group escaped safely through the portal, but at Ax's order, the injured Totenkopfs were left behind to die. Rhylian was ordered to keep an eye on Varalia, and despite her worries about the injured Nesa, did so dutifully. Once outside the temple, she realized that yet another elf had inexplicably fallen victim to the Blood Fever. Nalaen Silverpond, Daven's assistant, was beginning to show symptoms...though she swore vehemently that she had not touched any infected blood. Rhylian went to Nesa, trying to ease his doubts and shame over failing as her knight. Though she realized he was a threat to all her companions of elven blood, she also realized something else...she was happy when Nesa was around. She was unable to stop a single tear from falling as the unavoidable truth sank in. Nesa was dying, Nesa was dangerous...and yet she just couldn't bring herself to let him go. A Crimson Dawn Finally reaching Maar Sul City, Rhylian faded into the background once more. She was still uncomfortable in large crowds, and thus kept to herself, especially the night of the Maar Sulais ball. She and Nesa finally escaped the commotion, wandering outside and finding a single tree that had persevered through the war. It was here that the two shared their first kiss, sealed with a gift from Nesa: a beautiful pendant, made of shards of the Dragon Diamond that Nesa had gathered in the ruins. The two were completely oblivious to the death of Belial until the next morning. Following the funeral, and the revelation that Khalid al-Saif was Belial's son, Rhylian decided to accompany Ax on the mission to Jardine, and following that, Libaterra. The freshly-built Hiltraud would carry them to the Libaterran deserts. Marcus and his companions would return to Remon, while the main army would stay in Maar Sul to assist against the Proninists. Though she felt uneasy about the groups splitting up, she was eager to continue to Libaterra--and, hopefully, a cure. Tears of the Sun The Winds of Wrath Sowing Season Devourer's Reach A Cry in the Dark More info later. Deceiver's Gambit More info later. Appearance Rhylian is slender, with a fragile build, and stands around 5'5". She has shoulder-length dark brown hair and green eyes, and usually wears dark green leather armor that allows her to move quickly and quietly, though she's been known to wear the silver and black armor of the Blades when necessary. Personality and Traits Rhylian is generally serious and stern, and doesn't have much of a sense of humor. Despite her small stature, she comes across as rather intimidating. She usually doesn't talk much, and can appear cold...though in reality, she just lacks social skills and has a hard time expressing herself. She is unquestioningly loyal to her people, and she views outsiders with distrust, though she doesn't look down on them as some elves do. Recently, she has become more open with her emotions, and her time with the Blades has helped her to bond with those outside her own race. She seems to be much lighter and more playful when around Nesa. Powers and Abilities Rhylian is quite a skilled archer, and has some training with a short sword. She possesses no magical abilities, as she refused from a young age to follow her mother's path as a white mage. Relationships Axikasha Keiran Ax and Rhylian have become good friends since the attack of the ice elemental, with Rhylian often being the voice of reason when Ax wants to do something reckless. She holds nothing back from Ax, and is not afraid to disagree with her. Spending time around the rowdy warrior seems to have made Rhylian more confident and less reserved. Kaisa Blackwell In Ax's absence, Kaisa most often comes to Rhylian with her problems. Rhylian is often the only one willing to be stern with the young girl as she becomes a young woman, which seems to have gained her respect. The two care for each other almost as sisters, and their bond has deepened over the last year or so. Mira Loras Rhylian was quite close to her mother, who raised her from birth on her own. She was a quiet, dignified woman who felt that elves should be seen as noble, and did her best to teach Rhylian of the old ways. Miram Loras Miram Loras was the brother of Mira Loras, and Rhylian's uncle. He was a kind and patient teacher to Rhylian, though he was often disappointed that she refused to learn magic. He was the only father figure in Rhylian's life. Nesa Mikoto Rhylian and Nesa have become quite close in their relatively short time together. Though Nesa started out as her knight, he seems to go above and beyond in protecting her from harm, sometimes becoming almost paranoid (such as the time he carried her away from a trap in the Ruined Kingdom, despite the fact that Rhylian was perfectly capable of running on her own). Rhylian, in turn, seems to worry excessively about Nesa's injuries and problems with his disease. She recognizes that he is a threat to her and her elven comrades, and dreads the thought of watching him waste away, but she is unable to dismiss him. For better or worse, Rhylian's troubles seem to ease when Nesa is around. Their tragic budding romance may be short-lived if Nesa's condition continues to worsen at its current rate, as he seems to grow sicker each day. Things have also gotten more complicated between the two after the manipulations of the goddess Hivena as well as with Nesa's growing feelings for Unithien. Shyralis After spending time together in the Alliance, Shyralis and Rhylian are slowly developing a budding friendship of sorts despite their different views. See also *Axikasha Keiran *Dieter von Waldheim *Kaisa Blackwell *Nesa Mikoto *Shyralis Category:Blades of Vigilance Category:Characters Category:Elves Category:Grand Alliance Category:Remon Category:Third Age